PM Modi welcomes UK PM on first visit to India

New Delhi, Oct 8: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extended a warm welcome to United Kingdom Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who arrived in Mumbai on Wednesday morning for his first official visit.

The visit, accompanied by the largest-ever UK trade delegation to India, is being hailed as a “new chapter” in the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

In a post on X, Prime Minister Modi wrote: “Welcome Prime Minister Keir Starmer on your historic first visit to India with the largest ever trade delegation from the UK. Looking forward to our meeting tomorrow for advancing our shared vision of a stronger, mutually prosperous future.”

Starmer is visiting India at the invitation of PM Modi for a two-day trip focused on strengthening cooperation in trade, technology, defence, education, and innovation.

The visit builds on the momentum generated during PM Modi’s July 2025 visit to the UK, when both countries signed the landmark Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and launched the Vision 2035 roadmap.

TALKS ON TRADE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SECURITY

On October 9 in Mumbai, the two Prime Ministers will hold bilateral discussions to review progress under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which was elevated in 2021 to a transformational level. Their talks will focus on cooperation across the Vision 2035 roadmap, encompassing trade and investment, technology and innovation, defence and security, climate and energy, health, education, and people-to-people ties.

A key agenda item is the implementation of CETA, which links the world’s fifth and sixth-largest economies.

The agreement aims to double bilateral trade, currently valued at USD 56 billion, by 2030.

The UK has already offered tariff-free access to 99.1 percent of its trade lines, covering major Indian export sectors such as textiles, engineering goods, auto parts, and gems, and jewellery.

Both leaders will also address the 6th Global Fintech Fest in Mumbai.

EXPANDING DEFENCE AND INNOVATION TIES

Defence cooperation remains a cornerstone of the partnership. Under the Defence Industrial Roadmap, both nations are pursuing joint design, development, and production of advanced defence technologies.

Regular bilateral military exercises, including Konkan, Cobra Warrior, Ajeya Warrior, and Tarang Shakti, have strengthened operational collaboration and interoperability between the two forces.

In science and innovation, India and the UK have become major partners, with joint research investments worth £300-400 million.

EDUCATION, HEALTH, AND PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE TIES

Education and migration will also feature prominently in the talks. Over 170,000 Indian students are currently studying in the UK, making India one of the largest sources of international students. The University of Southampton’s new campus in Gurugram, the first foreign university established under India’s New Education Policy, is expected to be formally highlighted during this visit. The Indian diaspora, which forms about 2.6 percent of the UK population, continues to serve as a vital bridge between the two nations. Over 65,000 UK-based companies are owned by people of Indian origin, contributing significantly to job creation and local economies.

Officials in both New Delhi and London view Starmer’s visit as a reaffirmation of shared democratic values and a commitment to a modern, technology-driven, and inclusive partnership at the time when relations between India and US are drifting. As the two leaders prepare to meet on Thursday, expectations are high that this historic visit will set the tone for a new era of economic, technological, and strategic cooperation between India and the United Kingdom, a partnership rooted in trust, innovation, and shared prosperity.